What is the Difference Between Skateboarding and Longboarding?
Skateboard vs Longboarding, it is a debate that rages on between extreme sport enthusiasts, especially between those who like to hang out doing tricks at the skate parks in your local area and those who cruise the streets, searching for the perfect hill they can get a thrill out of speeding down. So what is the difference between skateboarding and longboarding? Longboarding became popular after skateboarding became a hit in the 1950’s.
In the Skateboard vs Longboard comparison, both styles offer unique experiences for riders, depending on whether they prefer tricks or cruising.
Surfers who were looking for something else to do when the surf just wasn’t cutting it decided to make longer boards and essentially ‘surf on the ground’. Longboarding has many similar movements to surfing, and therefore was easy to pick up for those who liked to surf. Both beginners and pros jumped at the chance to ride a longboard. In the Skateboard vs Longboard comparison, longboarding offers a smoother and more surf-like riding experience.
Skateboarding and longboarding may look similar at first glance, but there are several key differences you should consider before choosing which type of board to buy.
Size: Longboards are usually 35-60 inches long with a width of 9-10 inches. This compares to skateboards, which are usually 28-34 inches long and have a width of 7-10 inches. The longer and wider board makes longboards easier to balance on, especially if you are just beginning to skate. In the Longboard vs Skateboard comparison, size differences play a key role in stability and ease of learning for beginners, as the extra length and width provide better balance, smoother control, and more confidence for new riders.
Shape: Skateboards are very distinct, curving upwards at both ends. This makes it much easier to perform tricks, such as ollies and kickflips. Longboards come in many different shapes, such as pintails, flat nose, and boards shaped like a longer shortboard. Instead of curving at each end, longboards have 2 narrow strips at each end. This makes them easier to balance on and easier to cruise on. On the bottom of the deck, a shortboard's trucks are designed to handle grinding on curbs, benches, and rails. The longboard trucks tend to be looser, ruling out many tricks but allowing for easier turning. In the Skateboard vs Longboard comparison, skateboard designs focus on tricks while longboards are built for balance and smooth cruising.
Wheels: Longboards have bigger, softer wheels than shortboards. This is so they can go faster and absorb any sticks, pebbles, or cracks that may get in the way. Shortboards have smaller wheels, which help them maintain a consistent speed. The smaller wheels are easier to do tricks with, although they can easily be thrown off by any small obstacles. In the Longboard vs Skateboard comparison, wheel size plays a major role in speed, stability, and overall riding experience.
Photography: Lindsay Clark
Longboards have looser trucks, softer and bigger wheels, and greater flexibility in the board, which allows for a more comfortable cruise where you can take on bigger and tighter turns with ease.
The large wheels let you ride over cracks easily, making it the perfect board to cruise, get from point A to point B, or speed down hills. However, longboards can be big and heavy and therefore a liability to carry around. Shortboards are designed to do tricks. In the Longboard vs Skateboard comparison, longboards are ideal for cruising, while shortboards are better suited for tricks.
The wheels, curved ends, and smaller length all lend themselves to grinding and doing ollies at the skate park. They are not stable on all terrain and can be quite uncomfortable on longer cruises. Shortboards are easy to carry around, small, and convenient. So hopefully, you know more about the difference between skateboarding and longboarding. Picking which board depends on what you get the adrenaline rush and thrill out of. In the Longboard vs Skateboard comparison, the choice ultimately depends on whether you prefer tricks or smooth cruising, as each board is designed for a completely different riding style and experience.
Looking for a custom branded skateboard for your next event or campaign? Explore our full sports and fitness collection at Disrupt Sports.